Solutions Towards The Rise of Sleep Deprivation in Adolescents | Teen Ink

Solutions Towards The Rise of Sleep Deprivation in Adolescents

April 23, 2019
By Alynasam BRONZE, Houston, Texas
Alynasam BRONZE, Houston, Texas
2 articles 0 photos 0 comments

 81% of students don’t acquire the recommended amount of at least eight to ten hours of rest in a school survey. The main causes for these individuals who contributed in this survey not obtaining the needed amount of rest is for them using technology, the layers of school work from their many teachers, and containing a horrible ongoing sleep schedule. Individuals not gaining the recommended amount of sleep for them choosing to do so in-habit a condition labeled as Sleep Deprivation. Sleep Deprivation; a condition similar to a habit that lessens the amount of slumber received every night and this problem can change itself with many solutions unlike insomnia. Insomnia is a sleep disorder that’s solved by medications and sleep therapy. These predicaments are similar in the idea but fairly different and should both get treated with care and precaution. Going back to the issue, containing sleep deprivation creates great consequences that have the ability to impair one’s performance in many situations in their life. The principal source of sleep deprivation between students of the younger generation is our education system and the technological upbringing which pertains to new habits that include on this matter. Sleep Deprivation, essentially a poor habit that should change with these few solutions unless, heavy consequences will be brought in the long run to our impending generation.

 As people may know, school’s beginning times grow earlier and earlier as we grow in age. Studies believe that adolescents need less amount of slumber compared to younger ages of students, but actually it’s the exact opposite according to Dr. Mary Carskadon, an American researcher in the subject of sleep.  Our education system creating a new schedule in which school begins at later times can benefit students in the grades seven through twelve for them gaining the exact amount of sleep that’s recommended for their age group. Teenagers are essentially programmed to begin sleeping at later times and wake up at later times. For example; sleeping in the hours of eleven o’clock and waking up at twelve  o’clock in the morning. When the schools begin at times of seven or eight o’clock in the morning and teenagers sleep at twelve at night, they only receive around six hours of sleep which enlarges sleep deprivation, according to Brandon Peters, M.D. Furthermore, it’s not the teenager’s fault for them sleeping late at night, it is the changes in the melatonin during the hormonal changes in adolescents. Stated in the National Sleep Foundation, melatonin; a hormone that helps manage an individual’s sleep-wake schedule. Our body’s circadian rhythm encourages the amount of melatonin produced, and because the hormonal changes are through the roof during the ages of adolescents, they go into slumber later. Body’s circadian rhythm; our body’s internal clock that controls when we wake up and sleep. Additionally, the allowance for the schools beginning to become later gives students the ability to finish their many piles of homework earlier and sleep later which leads to sleeping the needed hours of sleep. All these reasoning assist to the idea that we should accommodate to the natural biology of teens to our world and education system instead of trying to adjust them into a system in which it’s unnatural. Our school education should input the starting time of schools later to help students less sleep deprived and become the best they can.

 The idea of switching our school’s starting time to a later time is quite far fetch yet beneficial, but imputing a free period isn’t. Inputting a free period during the school-day can be auspicious to our society for it create an additive that gives the ability to students to gain more rest or complete any work that wasn’t completed the night before. As claimed by the National Institute of  Health, rest is thoroughly important for many reasons. Rest has an unknown ability that allows you to remember or restore the memories of that day. Lack of sleep weakens the solving of problems, rationalizing, and remembering the slightest details. Furthermore, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute stated, “Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. Getting enough quality sleep at the right times can help protect your mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety.” In consideration of slumbers benefits and its importance, including a free period would have many advantages. The ability for teenagers to sleep in to restore all they have learned in the first few periods into their memories is beneficial when studying for an exam. Free periods can give students two ways to create a schedule that can follow their needs: they can do their homework at night to sleep at school during the free period, or they can sleep at home to do their homework at school. A free period either way gives additive that can decrease the once impairments of an individual's and creates a solution towards sleep deprived teenagers.

 Actions have consequences is a notorious motto that inputs truth about the reality of our world. Containing poor sleep habits creates future consequences towards sleep conditions, such as sleep deprivation. The adjustment towards sleep habits can solve the problems of sleep deprived teenagers. As stated by Brandon Peters, M.D., some habits that can solve sleep deprivation is creating a regular foundation of a sleep-wake up schedule where you wake up and sleep at the same time every day. Relaxing during the last one to two hours before resting and not using a cellular device before going to sleep by leaving the phone in a different room to charge would be beneficial in gaining more quantity of sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation, the habits that teens should acquire to gain more sleep are creating a soothing atmosphere where it’s easier to sleep in, creating a schedule to sleep, and turning off devices. Devices emits a short wavelength called blue-light which delays melatonin. The change of habits is quite well for 70.7%, individuals in my school survey stated that they have a habit of having technology lessening their sleep. Changing the deficient habits into more superior ones allows for the ability of students to become less sleep deprived. 

 Sleep deprivation contains major consequences and many adolescents don’t realize that for them believing rest isn’t that important. However, this condition can be extremely life threatening and should get solved with these solutions. Making our school schedule start at a later time so students can benefit in the long run for them physiologically being programmed as nightowls. Schools should input a period where students have the ability to complete any work, rest, exercise, etc. Changing the inefficient rest habits increases sleep deprivation. These solutions can be obtained further to help teens gain the recommended amount of rest of eight to ten hours. In United States alone, only 8% of high school students gain the recommended amount of sleep, so we the people should change this for it having the ability to affect our prosperity in the future.


The author's comments:

Sleep Deprivation has been an enormous problem in adolescents for various reasons such as our biology. It is best to cure this condition that is similar to a habit for it containing extreme consequences that can lead to possible death.


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